For the family and friends of Brayden Gayle

To the family and friends of Brayden Gayle, the 22 year old man who drowned in Chemainus Lake last November, and for whom a memorial was unveiled Friday, Aug. 12, our thoughts are with you.

Commemorating that tragic day with a public monument symbolizes the enduring love you have for someone held close to your hearts; and your enduring grief at his loss.

To the civic workers from North Cowichan Parks and Recreation who so quickly and completely restored Brayden’s monument to its proper condition after it was vandalized over the Aug. 13-14 weekend, thank you.

Your prompt action shows a community that understands how important markers that celebrate life and mourn its loss are, and what our priorities must be when they are defaced.

To the RCMP, who have put out a call asking for information that will help identify the person or persons responsible for this heartless and mindless act, we hope you are able to apprehend those responsible and help them understand what they have done.

To the community the RCMP is appealing to: call 250-748-5522 with any information you have that might help identify those responsible, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (you can remain anonymous if you choose when providing information to Crime Stoppers).

To the people who did this, grab some courage and apologize. Or live with what you have done. The choice is yours. And for goodness sake, think how it must feel to lose a loved one, commemorate that loss, then have someone vandalize the symbol of your grief.